Comparing Community Oriented Policing in Medium Sized Cities

Espinoza, Edward (2002) Comparing Community Oriented Policing in Medium Sized Cities . Master's Thesis, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University.

Abstract

This study proposes to investigate community policing styles and their influence on misdemeanor arrest rates, and serious property and violent crime. Participants in the study include all police agencies within the state of Connecticut serving communities with populations over 50,000. Information on policing styles will be collected by surveying police administrators who will rank several police functions and services. Stated policing styles will then be compared to actual activities implemented and to stated agency priorities. Each agency and its respective policing style will then be compared to its agencies misdemeanor arrest rate, serious property, and violent crime rate. Misdemeanor arrest rates were measured by police department records. Serious property and violent crime will be measured by U. C. R. statistics. Of particular interest to the study is the direct relationship between misdemeanor arrest rates to the overall crime rate. This study indicates that the majority of police administrators report practicing community oriented policing. However, the study also indicates that many agencies are actually practicing a mixed strategy of policing. In addition agency priorities rarely match an agencies stated style of policing. As a result, the study indicates that there is no correlation between policing style and misdemeanor arrest rate or between misdemeanor arrest rate and serious property and violent crime.